Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Speak now, or forever hold your peace on Reed Street in Bethesda

Montgomery County is prepared to abandon a portion of Reed Street at Bethesda Avenue. Developer The JBG Companies plans to incorporate the abandoned section into its new 4747 Bethesda Avenue project as public space.

A public hearing on the abandonment will be held Wednesday, August 30, 2017 at 7:00 PM at Park and Planning headquarters, located at 8787 Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring. The hearing will be held in the 1st Floor Hearing Room.

This project and its outcome will have a significant impact on the success or failure of a future public space on the plaza between Federal Realty's Bethesda Row and the JBG site, which has been a topic of heated debate for the last decade. Along with Carr Properties' massive 7272 Wisconsin project that backs up to the rear of this plaza area, there is an opportunity and urgency for all three development firms to collaborate on a public space with great potential.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

The third paragraph is #Filler.

Robert Dyer said...

5:24: Not to residents and developers who have been advocating for the development of a successful public space at this important location. You are definitely in the minority in your opinion.

Anonymous said...

I agree with 5:24. Dyer is outnumbered 2 to 1.

Anonymous said...

Do you know why the county would just hand over ownership to JBG instead of maintaining its own park?

Anonymous said...

@6:23 - I believe most of the land for the proposed park is owned by JBG not the county so MoCo would either need to purchase it from JBG or sell/surrender the stub road to incorporate it into the park.

Anonymous said...

But why *give the valuable piece of land to Jbg?

Anonymous said...

I can see given it up with stipulations on future use.

Anonymous said...

Has Deborah Vollmer given her consent?

Anonymous said...

I LOL'd